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Biomedical subjects

S Madani

Publications and source records attributed to S Madani.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The scalp biopsy: making it more efficient.

BACKGROUND: The scalp biopsy plays an important role in diagnosis and subsequent management of many scalp disorders. This simple diagnostic procedure can be time-consuming and frustrating for most dermatologists. OBJECTIVE: To outline an efficient technique for performing a scalp biopsy. METHODS: The technique of performing a scalp biopsy is reviewed and suggestions are made to make this time-consuming procedure more efficient. RESULTS: Sufficient specimen for histopathologic evaluation in a short perid of time is obtained. CONCLUSION: Attention to specific details in performing a scalp biopsy allows the physician to obtain a quick and histopathologically informative scalp biopsy.

Biopsy↗

Nail surgery.

Nail deformities may present as wither medical or cosmetic problems, often requiring surgical intervention. These deformities have a number of etiologic factors including infections, inflammatory disease processes, congenital abnormalities, trauma, tumors, and systemic diseases. This article discusses several nail problems and surgery techniques.

Bandages↗

Immunohistochemical staining for desmogleins 1 and 2 in keratinocytic neoplasms with squamous phenotype: actinic keratosis, keratoacanthoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

Desmosomes are intercellular junctions that have been shown to be down-regulated in certain types of carcinoma and that may play a role in suppression of invasion and metastasis. This paper describes an immunohistochemical study of three types of epidermal neoplasms with monoclonal antibody to desmoglein in order to determine how desmosomal staining correlates with the clinical, biological and histopathological features of these neoplasms. Actinic keratosis (AK) is the most common keratinocytic premalignant neoplasm that was reported to have a 10-20% rate of malignant transformation into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Keratoacanthoma (KA) is a benign neoplasm that involutes spontaneously after a few months of rapid growth. SCC is a malignant tumour capable of metastasis. Electron microscope studies of KA and SCC showed significantly reduced staining for desmosomes in SCC but not in KA. We have examined staining for desmoglein using the monoclonal antibody 33-3D, a mouse IgM monoclonal antibody, that recognizes the cytoplasmic domains of desmoglein (Dsg)1 and Dsg2 on frozen sections. Immunohistochemical staining of normal skin with this antibody revealed strong pericellular localization of the antigen, outlining the cell membranes of the keratinocytes. A series of 30 AKs, 12 KAs and 24 SCCs was stained immunohistochemically with 33-3D monoclonal antibody. All examined KAs showed extensive pericellular staining for Dsg. By contrast, juxtanuclear staining for Dsg was noted in 12 SCCs, and completely negative staining in seven SCCs. The five remaining SCCs showed focal pericellular staining for the Dsg marker. The most common finding in AK was focal pericellular staining for Dsg, with complete absence of staining in dysplastic areas (25 cases). In five cases negative pericellular staining in dysplastic areas was associated with juxtanuclear accumulation of the Dsg marker. A strong negative correlation between Dsg staining and degree of dysplasia was obtained. The Dsg pattern in KA is similar to normal epidermis and shows a clear difference between KA and SCC. AK has a limited loss of Dsg expression in a SCC-like pattern that is congruent with its premalignant nature. As the stain works on frozen tissue, it may be helpful for rapid differentiation in selected cases in cutaneous oncology and Mohs micrographic surgery. This antibody may also have great potential for the detection of the effects of chemopreventive agents in skin cancer.

Animals↗

Highly purified soybean protein is not hypocholesterolemic in rats but stimulates cholesterol synthesis and excretion and reduces polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis.

The specific effects of soybean protein on lipid metabolism were determined with highly purified soybean protein. At 5 wk of age, growing rats were fed diets containing 20% highly purified soybean protein or casein supplemented or not with 0.1% cholesterol for 2 mo. Plasma and liver lipid composition, fecal steroid excretion and several hepatic enzyme activities were measured. There were no significant dietary protein-related differences in plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations. When diets were cholesterol free, highly purified soybean protein stimulated fecal neutral and acidic steroid excretion associated with concomitantly higher hydroxy methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase activity, but lower cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase activity. Soybean protein lowered the linoleate desaturation index [20:4(n-6)/18:2(n-6)] in liver microsomal lipids and phospholipids. This may have been due to the reduced microsomal Delta6(n-6) desaturase activity in rats fed soybean protein, whereas Delta5(n-6) desaturase activity did not differ between groups fed the two proteins. Cholesterol supplementation (0.1%) did not affect plasma cholesterol but increased liver cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations and reduced HMG-CoA reductase activity; this latter effect was greatest in rats fed soybean protein. Cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase activity, however, was diminished only in rats fed casein. Desaturase activities, and particularly Delta5(n-6) activity, were lowered by cholesterol supplementation in rats fed both protein diets, including a significantly lower 20:4(n-6)/18:2(n-6) ratio in liver microsomal lipids and liver phospholipids. Thus although dietary proteins have no effect on serum cholesterol in rats, they affect enzyme activities involved in cholesterol metabolism and fatty acid desaturation.

Animals↗

Microscopically controlled surgical excision combined with ultrapulse CO2 vaporization in the management of a patient with the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome is an autosomal dominant condition characterized by multiple basal cell carcinomas, skeletal abnormalities and sometimes mental retardation. The large number of tumors, which are often disfiguring, presents extreme difficulties in the treatment of these patients. Microscopically controlled excision, compared to other modalities (radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy, intralesional interferon alpha-2b) offers the highest cure rate. However, because of the large size and involvement of wide areas of the skin, this approach is sometimes impractical. The ultrapulse CO2 laser with high energy and short pulses achieves char-free ablation of the tumors, bloodless surgical field, minimal nonspecific thermal damage, rapid healing and diminished postoperative pain. Also, a number of lesions can be removed in a single session. We present a 48-year-old man with a 6.5 x 4.5 cm large basal cell carcinoma involving the anterior abdomen and navel area. The central thick portion of the tumor was resected by microscopically controlled excision with 3 stages, and wide thinner peripheral crescentic plaque vaporized with ultrapulse CO2 laser. The laser settings were 300 mJ energy/pulse and 100 W average power, which corresponds to the fluence of 7.5 J/cm2. Computerized pattern generator (ultrascan handpiece) was adjusted to patterns of 3 (circle) and 1 (square) with sizes varying from 5 to 7, and density of 9 (60% overlapping). The tumor was vaporized with 6 passes, all the way to deep reticular dermis. A fifteen month-follow up disclosed no recurrent disease. Subsequent biopsies revealed only a scar with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Our experience indicates that combined treatment with microscopically controlled excision and ultrapulse CO2 laser ablation is a suitable modality for the large tumor plaques involving concave and convex areas of the skin respectively. Microscopically controlled excision of thicker, concave portions of basal cell carcinoma plaques, where CO2 laser surgery is less feasible, presents an effective addition that renders this combined modality a successful method for the treatment of nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

Gynecomastia with metoclopramide use in pediatric patients.

Gynecomastia and galactorrhea stemming from hyperprolactinemia have been reported in adults after the use of metoclopramide. We describe the cases of an adolescent with gynecomastia and an infant with gynecomastia and galactorrhea that were the result of metoclopramide therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Adolescent↗

The use of antidesmoglein stains in Mohs micrographic surgery. A potential aid for the differentiation of basal cell carcinoma from horizontal sections of the hair follicle and folliculocentric basaloid proliferation.

BACKGROUND: Histopathologic differentiation between benign and malignant tissue is of utmost importance for the Mohs surgeon. Folliculocentric basaloid proliferation (FBP) shares many histologic features with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). It is most commonly associated with tumors of areas with abundant hair follicles such as nasal and perinasal skin. Residual BCC incorrectly identified as a horizontally sectioned hair follicle undoubtedly increases the risk of tumor recurrence. Excision of additional layers of normal tissue to remove "funny looking follicles" may have profound impacts on tissue conservation, preservation of function, and cosmesis. Electron microscope studies of BCC revealed a significant reduction of desmosomes compared with normal basal cells and hair follicle keratinocytes. OBJECTIVE: This study has assessed the potential of rapid staining with monoclonal antidesmoglein antibody (33-3D) to discriminate between BCC, horizontally sectioned hair follicles, and FBP. METHODS: A rapid immunoperoxidase technique with 33-3D antidesmoglein antibody was performed on Mohs frozen sections. We selected 18 patients with BCC of nasal and perinasal locations where histologic discrimination between residual tumor and tumor-free margins with FBP or horizontally sectioned hair follicle was equivocal. RESULTS: Fourteen sections disclosed the preservation of desmoglein marker delineating the cell membranes ("perimembranous" pattern) consistent with normal hair follicles. The sections were identified as tumor-free and no additional stages were performed. The remaining four sections revealed absent perimembranous pattern but presence of diffuse cytoplasmic staining. These were diagnosed as positive for residual BCC requiring the excision of another layer of tissue to obtain tumor-free margins. A follow-up period ranging from 6 to 24 months revealed no instance of recurrent disease. CONCLUSION: Rapid detection of desmoglein with 33-3D antibody is a promising tool for discrimination between residual BCC and FBP or horizontally sectioned hair follicles. It may enhance the sensitivity of Mohs surgery by disclosing the hidden foci of BCC, thus preventing tumor recurrence and unnecessary excision of normal tissue.

Aged↗

Three-dimensional presentation of the Fourier amplitude and phase: a fast display method for gated cardiac blood-pool SPECT.

The routine clinical use of gated SPECT is inhibited by sophisticated, time-consuming processing techniques. The present paper describes a new technique for the simultaneous three-dimensional presentation of the amplitude and phase of the first Fourier harmonics, with the aim of obtaining detailed information about the ventricular motion in a relatively short time, from each angle of view of three-dimensional space. The method is simple and robust, and processing is automatic. It does not need carefully elaborated techniques for surface determination, because the cardiac surface is merely used as a reference skeleton onto which the functional information of amplitude and phase is mapped. The Fourier analysis before reconstruction results in running times shorter than 15 min and may further open the way for the routine use of gated SPECT.

Adult↗

Pyrimidine pathways enzymes in human tumors of brain and associated tissues: potentialities for the therapeutic use of N-(phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine.

The activities of aspartate transcarbamylase (de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway) and of deoxycytidine kinase as well as deoxycytidine deaminase (salvage pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway) were determined in extracts prepared from 40 brain tumors of different types in comparison with extracts from normal nervous tissues. Aspartate transcarbamylase, which is undetectable in normal brain tissue, is present in all tumor samples and in some cases rises to very high activities. Deoxycytidine kinase activity is present in all tissues but its level is generally higher in tumors. Deoxycytidine deaminase is present in all the tissues which were analyzed, although its activity is lower in some of the tumor samples. 1-beta-D-Arabinofuranosylcytosine is a substrate for both deoxycytidine kinase and deaminase in all the samples used except one. These results suggest some potential for the utilization of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine and N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate in the treatment of brain tumors.

Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase↗

[Genetic study of spinocerebellar hereditary degenerations in Tunisia. Role of consanguinity in their occurrence].

The genetic analysis of 101 genealogical trees of families with spinocerebellar heredo-degeneration enabled the authors to specify the transmission inheritance for each clinical type. Autosomic recessive transmission has been observed for Friedreich's ataxia (68 out of 69 families), Pierre-Marie's heredo-ataxia (15 families) and familial spastic paraplegia (2 families). A dominant mode of transmission has been observed in 13 families affected by familial spastic paraplegia (Strumpell-Lorrain) and in only one family with Friedreich's ataxia (an intermediate or incomplete form). It has also been observed that the consanguinity rate among this group of families is very high compared with that of the general tunisian population (25%). Marriage between cousins occurs in 75% of the cases of Friedreich's ataxia, in 78% of the cases of Pierre-Marie's heredo-ataxia and in only 61% of familial spastic paraplegia of Strumpell-Lorrain. The authors have come to the conclusion that the recessive autosomic transmission of the spino-cerebellar heredo-degenerative diseases are closely related to a high consanguinity rate.

Cerebellar Diseases↗

[Hereditary degenerative spinocerebellar diseases in Tunisia with manometric studies in bladder disorders (author's transl)].

During a survey conducted in Tunisia in 1978, 204 cases of hereditary degenerative spinocerebellar diseases were discovered among members of 117 families. The cases included 109 patients with Friedreich's ataxia, 28 with Piere Marie's heredo-ataxia, 20 with Strumpell-Lorrain's disease, and 47 with intermediary forms. The latter group included incomplete forms of Friedreich's and Pierre Marie's diseases. The onset or progression of the disease was linked to a febrile episode in 25 p. cent of the cases. Emphasis is placed on the presence of bladder sphincter disorders in approximately one third of the patients with Friedreich's or Pierre Marie's diseases. Manometric studies in 17 cases demonstrated the presence of normal bladders in 4 cases, hypertonicity of the bladder in 5 patients, and hypesthesic retention-type bladders in 5 other cases. In 3 patients the disorder was difficult to classify. These results show that sphincter disorders should not constitute a criterium for exclusion of the diagnosis of spinocerebellar degeneration.

Adolescent↗